ADDRESSES 211 



Of grapes, whoever has once partaken of the famous 

 chaoush from the Bithynian side of the Bosphorus, will 

 forever eschew all others : thin-skinned, small-seeded, fine- 

 pulped, — a dream, a delight, — something to be talked 

 about, never to find equaled. The vineyards of the Chris- 

 tians and the Moslems differ in one very important particu- 

 lar. The former cultivate those kinds suitable for making 

 wines; the latter, those that are best for food. While the one 

 are making spirits, the others are preparing that grape- 

 molasses called pekmez, which is extensively used. In it, 

 all manner of fruits are stewed or boiled, and the preserves 

 laid aside for winter use. With it, savory dishes of quinces 

 and meat, or chestnuts and meat, are prepared, much re- 

 lished by the poor. 



The olive is grown over a very wide area, especially in 

 Asiatic Turkey and the Mediterranean islands. It is a uni- 

 versal article of food. Give an Oriental bread and black 

 olives for a lunch, and he is happy. Add to this, olive oil to 

 flavor his stewed beans, his clam and rice, and his salads, 

 and he is happier. Beyond that it is not necessary to go. 

 The olive orchard in the flowering time is one of the most 

 beautiful sights in the world, — the gnarled and twisted 

 trunks hoar with age; the short, oblate, slightly curled sil- 

 very leaves; the branches fairly bending beneath the weight 

 of the snowy petals, and the ground beneath and around 

 white as with flakes of snow. Job says, referring to this 

 peculiarity of its shedding its blossoms: "He shall cast off 

 his flowers as the olive." Next to the cereals, it is by far 

 the most important agricultural product of Turkey. Its 

 berry, pickled, forms the chief article of food; the oil, pro- 

 duced from its pericarp, seasons most of the dishes, and 



